The Islamic State's (IS) influence has penetrated Saudi Arabia so successfully via social media that some Saudi youth are being persuaded to kill soldiers and police, even when they are family members.

Salafists — ultraconservative Muslims — believe in the concepts of al-wala wal-bara, which some scholars interpret as loyalty to all that is Islamic and disavowal of everything not considered Islamic. They believe these concepts are a main pillar of monotheism and the basis of Islam and are an expression of the love of God. IS is often said to adhere to "Salafi jihadism."

Much like al-Qaeda, IS accuses Saudi Arabia of being an infidel country and describes its rulers as tyrants, apostates and being loyal to the Crusaders. Both organizations believe Saudi soldiers in the army and security services are killing the mujahedeen, or holy warriors, and are just as much infidels as the country's rulers.

Faris Ahmed Jamaan al-Showeel al-Zahrani, one of al-Qaeda's most prominent theorists, believed all soldiers of a tyrant government, including Saudi Arabia, are infidels. In his 2002 book, “Al-Bahith fi Jwaz Qatl Afrad Thobat al-Mabahith” ("Inquiry Into the Ruling of Death Upon Soldiers and Officers of the Security Forces"), Zahrani relied on religious texts to justify the killing of Saudi secret service members or police officers. (The Saudi government executed Zahrani in January.)